


Camp Sweetwater

by wordsonpages



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Light Smut, Romance, Summer Camp, Summer Love, Teenagers, bughead - Freeform, camp counselors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 04:39:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11821416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsonpages/pseuds/wordsonpages
Summary: Betty Cooper didn't want to spend her summer at Camp Sweetwater as a counselor but of course her mother didn't give her a say in the matter. But then she meets Jughead Jones her co-counselor with gorgeous eyes and lean muscles and that damn smirk... okay so maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all.





	Camp Sweetwater

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise for the sheer length of this story, but I hope you enjoy. Also please forgive my lack of knowledge as to how American summer camps work as I am an Aussie. I gathered my knowledge from my own school camps and retreats and am hoping it suffices haha 
> 
> currently a stand alone piece but more parts may be added if there is demand :)

“Welcome to Camp Sweetwater”

Betty let out a defeated sigh as she read the faded words scripted in yellow paint across a crooked wooden sign.  This was not how she wanted to spend her summer.

“Really Elizabeth stop acting like such a child, “ her mother scolded from the driver’s seat, shutting off the car’s engine and opening the door. Betty groaned, letting her head thump back against the seat. 

All she asked for was a carefree summer; one where she was free of her “perfect” girl next door persona and could just be a teenager. But of course that was not acceptable to Alice Cooper. Betty had been furious when her mother had excitedly relayed her acceptance as a camp counsellor, shaking the neatly opened letter in her face. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids or the outdoors, no it was the principle of having her time stripped of her against her will. But her objections were no match for Alice’s lectures on the importance of broadening her skill set, and the need to fill her college applications with extra curricula’s- as if she didn’t have enough. So her bags had been packed, and here she was.

Deciding there was no point in further delaying the inevitable and beginning to become uncomfortable inside the stuffy vehicle, Betty opened her own door and stepped out into the summer heat.

She had to admit the location was beautiful, with lush greenery all around and the sounds of the river trickling through the air. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.

Rounding the vehicle, Alice placed Betty’s duffle bag on the dusty ground beside her and grabbed her reluctant daughter’s shoulders.

“It’s only seven weeks, who knows it might surprise you,” her mother placated softly, offering a warm smile.

Internally Betty scoffed, _only seven weeks,_ but she knew her mother truly just wanted what was best for her even if she had an overbearing and odd way of actuating that. So instead she returned the words with a soft smile of her own and pulled her mother into a hug.

“I’ll call you when I can, have a safe drive home.”

And with that she was gone.

Taking a deep breath and pushing her hesitancies and irritations aside, the blonde tightened her pony tail before bending down to pick up her duffle bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Her sneakers hit the ground with purpose as she crossed through the open gateway, her green eyes scanning across rows of log cabins with brightly painted accents and dirt pathways, all the way to the tree line that led into the forest.

“Betty Cooper?”

Betty turned her head from the view, only to be completely taken aback by the new one. A boy about her age was approaching her with lazy steps that held a subtle air of arrogance. He was tall and lean; the plaid button up he was wearing, the sleeves rolled up on his forearms made sure she was very aware of that fact.  Rogue strands of his ebony hair fell over his impossibly blue eyes tantalisingly while the rest was tucked beneath a beanie that she was too stunned to question the use of in this weather. And _god_ his jawline looked sharp enough to cut glass.

It wasn’t until his dark brows furrowed and his mouth twitched into an amused smile that Betty realised she had been straight out ogling him and if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, she had totally failed to respond to his question. Trying to ignore the flush that was quickly rising to her cheeks, Betty summoned the social skills she had acquired over years of Cooper indoctrination and flashed him her best girl next door smile.

“That’s me! Sorry I was a little distracted by the view,” the blonde recovered in an upbeat tone, internally commending herself on constructing an excuse that wasn’t entirely a lie.

The boy chuckled shaking her politely extended hand.

“Yeah it’s some view,” he replied, a cheeky smirk gracing his lips, making it obvious they both knew she wasn’t talking about the geographical scenery. Betty felt her cheeks flame even more and cast her eyes downward shyly.

“Jughead Jones, welcome to Camp Sweetwater.”

Betty was extremely grateful that he didn’t feel the need to loiter on her embarrassment and found the courage to meet his eyes again. _God did he have nice eyes_.

“Thanks, I’m assuming this isn’t your first time?”

“You’d be right. I’ve been friends with Fred’s son since birth really, so of course every summer I’d come with them here and then when we got old enough it was kind of a natural progression into camp counsellors,” Jughead informed her, rubbing the back of his neck.

“So you’re the welcoming committee?” She half joked, feeling her stomach flutter at the good natured smile he offered her.

“Something like that.”

She quirked a brow, the tone of his voice indicating he knew something she didn’t.

“Well I’m _your_ welcoming committee,” his smirk reappeared and Betty bit her lip at the sight.

“Lucky me,” she returned softly, her eyes widening as the confession slipped out. Letting out a nervous chuckle she shuffled her converse through the dirt, attempting to play it off as friendly jest.

Jughead raised an eyebrow- his eyes seeming to twinkle with something unknown- but didn’t comment.

“Come on, I’ll show you ‘round.”

_Maybe this summer wouldn’t be so bad after all._

 

* * *

 

Twenty four hours later Betty would uncover the meaning to Jughead’s cryptic message about being _her_ welcoming committee.

Her first day at Camp Sweetwater was spent acquainting herself with the place. It was beautiful. The main part of camp was built on a large clearing just near the river. Cabins made of log, a large rec room/dining hall and a fire pit. While multiple trails led to the areas where various activities took place. Betty was impressed and made sure Mr Andrews was well aware of the fact. The campers weren’t arriving till the following week and Betty was glad for the time to settle in.

Jughead had introduced her to her bunk mate first. Veronica Lodge was a dark haired girl with impeccable makeup and a socialite attitude straight from New York City. Her mum and Fred were old friends. The two although having seemingly juxtaposing personalities had hit it off instantly and Betty was grateful for Veronica’s taking her under her wing. The other girl had quickly given her the rundown on the regular’s; Archie, Fred’s son, football player, heart of gold but not necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed. Kevin Keller, “resident gay”, always up for an adventure and kept the atmosphere light while not afraid to be straight up with people. Cheryl Blossom, bitch by nature, cheer captain, but good with kids and a nice person “deep, deep down.” She hadn’t said much about Jughead though, much to Betty’s disappointment and she knew better than to ask in fear of making her new found curiosity- easily mistaken as “crushing”- too obvious. All she got was that he was basically Fred’s surrogate son, a bit of a lone wolf and always had a sarcastic remark ready.

They had spent the day breezily, playing ice breaker games and just hanging out really, as well as doing some admin all together. It was during that portion of the afternoon that Betty had really made an impression on her peers. Her aptitude for making schedules came in handy for kitchen duty and cleaning rosters etc.

But god she was not prepared for today.

The plan for the rest of the week was for the counsellors to run through all the activities so that they were well equipped to run them when the kids came and then to brain storm some other activities for the evenings and free time.

“So you’ll just run through each activity with your co-counsellor which will help you guys to bond before your campers arrive,” Fred explained, while they were sat at the picnic like tables inside the dining hall eating breakfast.

“We have to be paired together B! We’ll be like Thelma and Louise and our group will be totally empowered,” Veronica whispered conspiringly in her ear, placing an excited hand on Betty’s arm while Fred looked for the list of “teams”.

 Betty laughed at her new friend and nodded, “Oh yeah, we’d have them all attending feminist rallies by the end of the summer.”

“Well if you’re allowed to brain wash America’s youth and use them to your advantage, I’m going to make sure my group are all attending pride marches before the summers out!” Kevin added, with a wiggle of his eyebrows and a mock serious tone.

“Kev you try and do that every year anyway,” Jughead mentioned off-handedly while pretending to be engaged in Archie’s rambling about the necessity of compiling a list of classic camp fire “jams”.

Both girls laughed while Kevin feigned shock.

“Ah here it is!” Fred broke through their chatter once again, with a sheepish grin.

“Okay Archie and Ethel, Cheryl and Reggie, Jughead and Betty and Kevin and Veronica.”

Betty froze, spoon buried in her bowl of cereal Did he just say-

“Bummer girl! Oh well we can always kick ass together in the kitchen,” Veronica interrupted her sudden brain malfunction, before getting up from her place and taking her plate toward the kitchen with an excited Kevin on her heels.

Betty’s stupor was fading as she processed the idea of working with Jughead, _closely_ , every day for the entire summer. She blinked at her all bran, before taking a deep breath and looking up. Jughead was watching her from across the table with the corner of his mouth upturned. _Yeah bummer_ , Betty thought as she once again felt her pulse jump under his scrutiny. She offered him a pleased- but not too pleased- smile of her own and met his eyes fully now. It was then that she became reacquainted with that cheeky twinkle. _Oh._

“Well that explains the personal welcoming committee,” she threw at him with a teasing tenor.

Jughead shrugged, his face twisting into a passive expression, though his eyes still sparkled under jest. Rising to his feet he moved to clear both of their dishes.

“Weird coincidence right?” and then he was walking away and all Betty could do was chug her juice to prevent the wide smile threatening to split her face in half.

 _Yeah this summer was going to be far from bad_.

“So you knew we were going to be paired up together all along?” Betty prodded, while she and Jughead ventured down the path toward the boat shed; their first activity was canoeing.

“Yeah,” was all he offered, hands tucked into the pockets of his worn light wash jeans.

Betty nodded, trying not to pry too much while also finding herself parched for knowledge about this boy. His voice entranced her, his words intrigued her and his demeanour attracted her. She was unsettled by how much she was responding to his presence, by how much she wanted to know him. It was strange but also electrifying and she had to remind herself that she had all summer for that.

“And may I ask how you gathered that information?”

“World class investigative skills.” He retorted dryly, his playful expression daring her to oppose him as they rounded on the shed.

“Well in that case you should come and write for my school paper,” Betty responded with her own sarcastic quip, accepting the colourful oar he handed her from the row hung on the side of the shed.

“Yours as in your schools or yours as in you run it?” the dark haired boy asked nodding his head so that she followed him round the side.

Betty was a little taken aback by his sincere question, stalling for a second before her trainer clad feet followed him.

“Both. This is my second year as editor but we are severely lacking in writers who possess talent and the ability to chase a story,” she explained trying not to sound too nerdy as she watched him reach up to grab life jackets from the top shelf while she leaned against the door way.

His shirt rode up a little with the action and Betty bit her lip as a strip of olive skin and lean back muscle that was exposed to her. Jughead turned around clasping the objects and she quickly averted her eyes from his figure, trying to act nonchalant despite being almost caught checking him out for the second time in the very short span of time they had known each other.

“That’s cool. Well except for the shitty journalists part.” He threw a life jacket at her and Betty mumbled a thanks, pushing off the door way to put it on.

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I’m partial to the literary types and especially to mysteries so…” Jughead trailed off making a non-committal gesture with his hand and putting his own life jacket on.

Betty nodded, feeling satisfaction warm through her veins, knowing they had found some common ground.

“Anyway you’re dodging my question and as a ‘world class’ investigator myself I will not be deterred so easily!” the blonde proclaimed as they moved to where the canoes were lined up by the bank of the river. Jughead sighed, tugging on his beanie before pausing to examine her for a moment.

His scrutinising gaze wasn’t harsh in the way her mother’s often was- searching for flaws- but rather, it seemed as though he was searching for something positive within her. Something he could trust.

“Fred told me.” They pushed the canoe into the shallow depths of the water, both their shoes becoming soaked, before they jumped in themselves. Betty was praising her choice of jean shorts while Jughead seemed completely unfazed by the damp cuffs of his jeans.

Betty scoffed and shook her head at him, eyes squinting.

“That part I figured.”

Jughead smirked looking out at the water before turning back to her.

“I hate surprises okay? I know that sounds stupid but I like to know things before they happen, I don’t know it helps me prepare. Been that way since I was a kid and Fred knows me well enough to not spring things on me.”

Betty nodded, understanding better than maybe he realised. She knew that feeling well. In fact anyone with anxiety would probably understand that… she couldn’t help but realise the common symptom, even though he had played it off as coolly as he could.

“Plus Fred likes to have new counsellors with Archie or myself. We’re basically prodigals,” he continued after a moment, his tone less strained while he transgressed into a joke.

“That makes sense. And I’m sorry,” Betty spoke softly knowing firsthand how difficult it could be to discuss your anxieties with others.

Jughead furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused by her apology.

“Well I can imagine for someone who doesn’t like surprises it must be hard to work with someone completely knew, who you know nothing about. It’s like one big surprise in a human package,” she elaborated, watching the sun gleam off the clear water while she spoke almost shyly, before turning back to him.

A strand of dark hair had fallen from his beanie again and was sitting dangerously over his eyes, the sun was highlighting his jaw line and making his skin look flawless; the envy of every teenage girl for sure.

“I don’t think I’m going to mind this surprise.”

Her eyes widened as he studied her cautiously. A soft smile spread across her lips as she held his gaze, the sounds of the breeze and birds the unaccompanied symphony to their rowing.

* * *

 

“Oh shit, Fred asked me to gather paper and pens, so that we could schedule some evening activities during dinner!” Veronica exclaimed as her and Betty made the short walk from their cabin to the dining hall.

 “I’m going to go back and grab them from our cabin, meet you there?” the raven haired girl asked already backtracking toward their room.

Betty nodded her mind preoccupied with the view a few metres away.

“Sure V,” she called, not taking her eyes from Jughead who was sprawled across the grass near the dormant fire pit, notebook in hand, barely registering Archie sat in one of the chairs near him strumming away at his guitar.

Her legs began moving to cross the distance before her brain registered what she was doing, though it didn’t object.

“So when you said you were partial to literary types, what you were really saying is that you’re partial to yourself?”

Jughead looked up at the sound of the teasing voice that had quickly imprinted itself into his memory as _her_ voice.

Betty stood in front of him clad in a pair of well-fitting athletic shorts that showed off her long legs and an old hoodie, hair still in that pony tail. He had to remind himself to breathe as she completely dwarfed the scenery around her.

Rolling his eyes Jughead snapped the leather skin journal shut and rose up on his forearms.

“I think literary type and narcissist are synonymous Betty,” he fired back smoothly, revelling in the way she shook her head at him with that soft smile playing at her pink lips.

“How silly of me Jughead,” she exclaimed gracefully perching next to him on the grass.

He shrugged at her, leaving a purposeful silence for her to fill if she wanted to.

“So what were you writing?”

“Nothing really,” he tried to modestly lay the subject to rest.

Archie scoffed but didn’t say anything and Betty looked at Jughead curiously.

“Okay not nothing. I’m in the process of writing a novel,” he explained sheepishly, not meeting her eyes.

Betty’s whole body seemed to light up with genuine enthusiasm as she gushed, “Jug that’s amazing! What’s it about?”

Jughead hesitated not really sure how to explain the inner workings of his dark mind and also not sure if he was ready to confide that in another person, especially one he just met. Though he had to admit there was something about this girl that made him feel as if he’d known her forever, or had always been waiting to meet her. He couldn’t explain it, couldn’t put his finger on it, but he just knew that there was so much more to her than the “all American” persona she was putting on, and _god_ did he want to know what was behind it.

“Sorry, a good author doesn’t release spoilers.”

Betty felt a tiny tinge of disappointment spread through her, but respected his prerogative.  Writing could be deeply personal. Writing articles for the school paper was one thing, but sharing something entirely concocted from your own thoughts, your own fantasises, your own imagination and having people see the way you view the world around you, allowing people a window into your experience, well that was something else entirely.

“Well, be sure to send me a signed copy when it’s number one on the New York Times best seller list,” she said fixing him with a look that was both serious and teasing at the same time. Jughead laughed- he found himself doing that a lot around her.

Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach at the sight of his grin, perfect teeth on full display, Betty rose from her knees, making her way toward the dining hall once again.

Jughead watched her retreating form, before shaking his head and falling back on the grass once more.

“Dude!” Archie exclaimed, eyeing his long-time friend excitedly.

“What _bro_?” Jughead grumbled, barely glancing up.

“You know what. You and Betty!”

Jughead shot up, looking at the red head like he had grown a second head.

“What about me and Betty?”

Archie noted the shift in Jughead’s tone and realised he was retreating back to himself. He had to tread carefully.

“I don’t know man, but when she came over you got this look.”

“What look?”

“Well let’s just say you don’t look at her like you want to kill her- which is how you look at everyone else just for the record,” Archie elaborated carefully, though the mischievous glint in his eye did not fade.

“Shut up dickhead,” Jughead flipped his best friend off, with a glare for good measure.

* * *

 

 “Okay we really need to start talking strategies for capture the flag,” Betty announced as her and Jughead walked a track deep into the forest.

The dark haired boy looked at her incredulously, taking a long swig from his water bottle. The heat had really kicked up a notch over the week making their skin sweat and burn even though it was barely 10am.

“You do realise that’s like three weeks away right? And we haven’t even met our team yet,” he dead panned.

“Yes.” Betty shot him a pointed look, skipping a few steps ahead of him before turning so that she was walking backwards.

“ _But_ I figure with my strategizing skills and your experience we’re practically unbeatable. And if we start planning now we are definitely unbeatable!”

Jughead couldn’t help but chuckle at her animated hand gestures and the determined look in her eye.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re a competitive person?”

“Shut up!” the blonde laughed with him, shoving his shoulder before falling back into step beside him.

“Okay Cooper, what’s your plan?”

By the time they reached the rock climbing site they had devised a thorough plan complete with diversion tactics, the appropriate number of defensive and offensive players and flushed out the other team’s most likely strategies.  Each of them had been impressed by the other’s wit and determination, while still maintaining a light air transfused with humour.

“Here we are,” Jughead noted as the track faded out.

A natural rock face stood tall while the area directly below had been cleared in a radius of a few metres before the trees started to encroach again.

“The starting point of the river is on the other side,” he mentioned trivially as he worked open the combination lock on the bin the harnesses were stored in.

“I can hear it,” Betty said, contented by the sounds of nature.

She watched Jughead pull out two harnesses, and he ran her through how to put them on and how to check the caribena was locked into place.

“Okay newbies choice- do you want to belay or climb first?”

Betty rolled her eyes at this use of the term “newbie”.

“I’ll climb.”

Jughead nodded, handing her a helmet. Betty took it from him yanking her hair out of its high pony tail to accommodate it. Jughead felt his breath hitch at the sight of her blonde locks falling in soft waves over her shoulders. She was truly ethereal.

_Ethereal? Shit when did he become such a sap?_

 Snapping out of his daze Jughead moved to double check her harness again. Betty inhaled sharply at his proximity. The scent of his cologne mixed with something she couldn’t put her finger on was intoxicating. The way his body radiated heat toward her was enticing despite the harsh rays of the sun and she couldn’t help but follow the drop of sweat the slid past the collar of his t-shirt.

“Alright you’re good to go,” he said stepping back. His voice had taken on a breathier tone that sent shivers down her spine.

Betty gulped, “Thanks.”

She moved so that she was standing at the bottom of the now intimidating looking rock face and fidgeted with nervous anticipation. Betty had always been a fan of physical activity; she loved the release of energy, the surge of adrenalin and the escape it gave her. Though she had to admit, this wasn’t the same as running or cheer or rafting or hiking…

“Betts,” Jughead’s voice- back to its normal tone now- broke through her reverie.

“Hmm?”

“I’ve got your back.”

The words were simple, but the sentiment warmed her being in the way the summer never could. They had only known each other for a week but there was something about Jughead that made Betty trust him implicitly and right now she couldn’t think of anyone else she would rather have as her support system through this venture.

“I know.”

Taking a deep breath Betty began to climb up the rock face, taking her time and placing her feet in the most appropriate ledges. Jughead would call out useful instructions every now and then about where to place a hand or foot and some words of encouragement. But other than that he left her to focus and for that Betty was grateful.

She felt the familiar sensation of freedom rush through her veins once she started moving and all her nerves dissipated. The feeling of the heat bearing down on her and the physical exertion erupted a light sheen of sweat or her skin, but she barely noticed as she reached the top of the face and took a moment to appreciate the view ahead.

“Nice work Cooper! Okay when you’re ready just slowly propel yourself down!” Jughead called from below her.

Betty turned her upper body to look down at him and flash him a thumbs up, an action that turned out to be a big mistake.

Because it was in that moment that Betty realised just how high she had climbed. The blonde jolted and turned swiftly back around in the harness her hands pressing flat against the rock face as her breathing began to shallow. She suddenly felt out of control. Her thoughts were spiralling, she felt like she’d never feel the ground, like she was seconds away from falling. Everything was spinning. her hands gripped the wall tighter, suddenly only seeing the image of herself falling and her body manufacturing the pain that would cause while the jagged edge cut into the scarred flesh on her palms.

“Betty?” Jughead called out, his brows were furrowed with concern and his voice was strong.

He could see her chest rise and fall rapidly, the harsh sounds of panic filtering down to him. Her forehead pressed against the warm surface of the rock as her eyes were squeezed shut.

 _Shit_ , he thought.

He knew a panic attack when he saw one and his chest became uncomfortably tight with what he wasn’t sure was the memory of his own episodes or the beginning of one.

“Betty what’s going on?” he pried gently, testing her responsiveness.

“Jug I can’t… it’s so… I can’t… so high-“ she mumbled through shallow gasps.

“Okay Betty you need to breathe okay. In and out slowly, like this,” he said assertively demonstrating the breathing technique he knew all too well.

Betty took a moment but began to do as he instructed, her body recognising the familiar rhythm she had practiced many times before. As she worked through the breathing techniques Jughead continued.

“Good! Now I need you to focus on my voice okay? Just concentrate on the sound of my voice.”

Betty nodded curtly, eyes still shut and breathing in deeply.

“Betty you are attached to a harness. That harness is attached to a rope that I’m controlling. You are not going to fall because I’ve got you.”

Betty opened her eyes, repeating what he was saying in her head. _You’re not going to fall Betty, he’s got you._ Some part of her brain recognised what he was doing. It was cognitive process she had worked through with her own psychologist, focussed on recognising the negative thought and countering it.

“Betty I promise I’m not going to let you fall.”

His voice was so earnest and full of conviction she couldn’t help but believe it. Her chest still felt tight but she no longer felt like she couldn’t get oxygen into her lungs or like she was about to implode.

“You’re not going to let me fall,” she relayed down to him, her own voice sounding more sure now.

Jughead nodded enthusiastically. Some foreign feeling overwhelming him at the proof of her trust.

“Right. Okay I need you to put your hands on the rope and gently push off the rock with your feet. Can you do that for me?”

Taking another deep breath, Betty followed his instructions, her limbs shaking but managing.

Jughead instructed her the whole way down, constantly telling her what a great job she was doing. Eventually both her feet hit solid ground and she let out a relieved exhale. Jughead moved quickly so that he was behind her and placed steadying hands on her waist, but was still careful not to move too far into her personal space.

“You okay?” He asked softly.

Betty felt her cheeks heat up with the embarrassment and found herself hoping the ground would just swallow her up. Biting the bullet she turned around to face him. Jughead’s brows were furrowed as his gentle eyes studied her face.

“Yeah,” she breathed, averting his gaze and looking down at her feet, kicking the toe of her sneaker into the dirt.

He didn’t say anything but Betty could feel his eyes trained on her face looking for any sign of further alarm or distress.

“Honestly, I’m fine. Just embarrassed really,” she mumbled steeling her nerve and looking back into his face.

Jughead scoffed, his hands moving to unclip her helmet.

“I don’t know why. That was one of the bravest things I’ve seen.”

Betty looked at him like he was alien, eyes wide and disbelieving.

“Seriously Betty you had a panic attack 30 feet above the ground and managed to get yourself down. That’s brave.”

Searching his eyes she found nothing but the truth and her cheeks flushed for a completely different reason. His sincerity was endearing and staggering and made her more acutely aware of how wonderful this enigmatic boy was turning out to be.

“Thankyou,” she whispered as he removed her helmet and smoothed her hair down. The silky strands and her breathy voice were distracting him but not in an unpleasant way. He was suddenly aware of how close they were standing and was unable to work out which one of them had moved to eradicate the gap. He sure as hell wouldn’t be the first to move back though. He was entranced by the way her shirt clung to her damp skin, the curls that fell over her shoulders, the way her bottom lip was trapped beneath her teeth.

Betty hesitated, wanting to say more but unsure. But around him it was like she was helpless to restraint. His smell, his intense gaze, the strength in his arms, everything about him was pulling her in and pushing her inhibitions aside.

“I don’t think I could have done that if it hadn’t of been you that was with me.”

Jughead’s eyes flickered with something she could not discern but she noted the subtle way his breathing faltered and his hands flexed against the clasp of her harness that he was now working on removing.

“Yes you could have.”

Again she was struck by his conviction, set spinning by the heat his words filled her with.

“No you grounded me and not to overstep but you clearly knew what to do,” she spoke softly afraid of startling him or breaking the unexpected intimacy this moment had brought them into.

Jughead sighed, seeming to debate something within himself.

“Let’s just say I’m well acquainted with panic attacks,” he admitted, knowing that she was intuitive enough to decipher his meaning.

“Me too.”

The silence stretched between them again, only disrupted by the sounds of buckles and clicks. The harness drooped around Betty after he had undone the last clasp and she held his shoulders while she stepped out of it and then reluctantly stepped back, realising she had no reason to be in his personal space except for her selfish desires now.

Jughead cleared his throat, trying to clear some of the tension in the air with that action, while he moved to place the harness back in the bin.

“So fear of heights?” he asked conversationally as he began putting his own on.

“More like fear of falling I think,” Betty replied distractedly, feeling an unprecedented happiness at the fact that he still trusted her to belay for him minutes after she had just had a complete melt down. “One I literally just became aware of,” she added with a slight chuckle.

“Well Betts, I think you just kicked your fear of falling in the ass.”

She tried not to smile too wide at the newly founded nickname.

* * *

 

“So how are you and Jughead getting along?” Veronica asked her later that night as they lay sprawled across the floor of their cabin, the fans buzzing lowly in the background.

Betty looked up from the magazine she was flipping through and found Veronica looking at her with an expression that screamed ‘ _please give me gossip now’_.

Reaching her hand into the mixed assortment of snacks between them Betty replied in her best casual tone, “Great.”

Veronica raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her.

“Sorry B I’m going to need more than that.”

Betty rolled her eyes, turning back to an article about the best foods to promote clear skin- as if she didn’t already know that with Alice Cooper as a mother.

“I don’t know what you want me to say V. He’s smart and funny, and really nice and I think we’re gonna have fun working together,” the blonde said somewhere on the verge of exasperated.

A cat like smile stretched across Veronica’s face.

“Yeah you are.”

“Oh my god-“

“Relax Betty, I’m just teasing,” the raven haired socialite placated, flipping a page in her own magazine.

“He is cute though,” she added nonchalantly.

Betty responded before her brain could catch up to her mouth and send a big red warning signal.

“He’s hot.”

Both girl’s heads shot up, eyes going wide as Betty’s sentiment hung in the air.

“Oh my god!” They exclaimed in unison, one voice filled with horror the other with glee. And then they both collapsed into fits of laughter.

* * *

 

“So are you ready to meet our troops?” Jughead asked sliding into the seat next to Betty at breakfast.

It was Monday morning, “bright and early” as Fred put it and they were awaiting the arrival of their campers.

“You make it sound like war Jug,” Betty admonished, taking a bite of her toast.

“Summer camp is war, or have you forgotten about our tactile discussion on Friday?” he quipped back sardonically.

Betty laughed and nudged him in the side.

“Guys, dad wants us all outside,” Archie came up behind the pair placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Okay I’ll just quickly do the dishes,” Betty rose to her feet instantaneously and began gathering the dirty plates and cutlery.

Jughead felt a subtle wave of affection wash over him at her innate need to be useful and inability to do things that meant more work for other people or that went against etiquette. It was endearing really.

“Leave em’ we can do them with the lunch ones,” he cut in, placing a hand on her wrist. The slight touch sent sparks through them and Betty fumbled with the butter knife in her hand, barely avoiding dropping it.

“Reggie outside bro!” the red head hollered over them toward the jock who was taking aim at the bin with used napkins. The sudden noise broke Betty from her Jughead induced trance and she hastily moved her limbs away from his and set the items in her hands down.

“Shall we?” Jughead asked tentatively, recovering more rapidly than she had. The blonde nodded, pulling her pony tail tight before moving to follow the others outside.

Once they were all clustered in front of the dining hall Betty couldn’t help but appreciate the show of comradery in their matching “Camp Sweetwater t-shirts”. Fred had gotten each of them a few in a distinctive colour to distinguish their groups, ensuring they only had to wear them until the campers got to know who they were. Betty and Jughead had royal blue shirts with yellow writing. Betty praised the camp god’s for the way that had worked out, as not only was blue a colour she had no issue wearing, it also was one that looked fine as hell on her partner.

“Okay guys, campers will be arriving any minute now. We want to be as welcoming as possible, lots of energy and remember the whole point of the summer is to have fun and make memories.”

The energy around the camp had lifted tenfold within the hour, the arrival of fifty kids between the ages of ten and fourteen adding a whole new vibe to the atmosphere. Betty had quickly found herself embracing the “perfect” persona she so often wore, smiling brightly and introducing herself to an abundance of campers, helping those who were new find their way around. She had already begun mentally cataloguing names by the time Fred had gathered everyone to go through the basic rules of camp and the way things were going to run.

“And now the part where you meet the children who will become obsessed with you within the week,” Kevin whispered dramatically in Betty’s ear as Fred spoke. Glancing to her left Betty shared an amused grin with him, trying desperately to stifle her laugh.

A few moments later they had segregated and Fred was sorting out who belonged to which team.

“You ready?” Jughead questioned from beside her while they waited for the campers to filter over.

“To do what I signed up for? Sure…” she replied, slightly confused as to why he was asking her such a question.

Jughead smirked at her, mischief written across his face.

“I meant for having to share my attention now,” he teased, shooting her a wink.

Betty’s mouth fell open at the comment, fighting a swoon in her shock. But just as she conjured a retort a wave of kids flooded their radius.

“Jughead!” One of the younger boys shouted excitedly, rushing toward the front of the group and smiling so wide Betty thought his face might literally split in half.

“Hey buddy. Wow you’ve grown since I last saw you! How’d 6th grade treat you?” Jughead’s expression morphed into one that was soft and accentuated the youth in him. Suddenly he wasn’t just her really hot co-counsellor, but a guy who looked like a role model to these kids; like someone who genuinely cared about the kids in front of him.

The sight made Betty’s heart stutter in an unfamiliar rhythm, catching her off guard. The swoon she had managed to fight off before was back in full force now.

“Overall it was bearable,” the young boy sighed. “I worked on what you told me about ignoring people who piss me off and I’m getting pretty good at it!”

Betty’s eyes widened at the use of the cuss, while Jughead just looked purely amused, and maybe even a little proud.

“Good to hear Noah,” Jughead ruffled the boy’s mess of sandy hair and merely laughed at the affronted expression he received.

“Okay monsters time to shut up now!” Betty heard a demanding voice call from the next group over. Cheryl was rounding her and Reggie’s group up, making it clear she was not one to tolerate disobedience. Betty could see why Fred had paired her and Reggie up; the most likely to be too strict with the most likely to be too relaxed, hopefully they would balance each other.

Though, that knowledge didn’t stop her from shooting Jughead a mild look of panic at the firey girl’s demeanour. Jughead merely shrugged.

“Alright kidlets, listen up!” He called out, raising his voice just enough so their chatter stopped, but not enough to be intimidating.

“I’m Jughead- I know it’s a strange name and no you don’t get to know what my real name is- and this is Betty and we’re going to be your group leaders this summer. So if you need anything at all, we’re the people you should come and hunt down. If it’s during meal times though you should probably find Betty because food will probably win out over you guys sorry.”

The group laughed and Betty couldn’t help but feel a little entranced by his easy going personality and natural repour with kids. She had already worked out he wasn’t one to draw much attention within their group of counsellors, but he clearly was a natural at engaging people and a part of her thought it was kind of a shame he didn’t allow his charm to show through with everyone else all the time.

“Okay so now that the _most_ important thing has been covered, we’re going to do the totally cliché thing where we all go around and introduce ourselves,” he continued with a lazy smile gesturing for them to form a circle, and sit down.

“Wanna start us off?” Jughead motioned toward her. Betty nodded.

“Hi guys, I’m Betty, and as Jughead said I’ll be one of your team leaders this summer. This is my first time at Camp Sweetwater actually, so any of you that have been here before will probably be able to help me out too. I’m sixteen, and I’m a cheerleader and I’m really looking forward to spending the next six weeks with you.” Her gaze may or may not have flitted to Jughead as she said the last part.

They moved around the group and Betty paid close attention to their names, already having memorised half of them. She learnt that the boy Jughead had spoken to earlier was here for a second summer. She also learnt that Jughead was seventeen, a piece of information she had filed away in the box in her brain labelled, “uncovering the enigma”.

“Awesome it’s really nice to meet you all. So the next thing we need to do is pick a group name. And this one’s completely up to you guys-“

“As long as it’s appropriate,” Betty cut in, sending an apologetic look Jughead’s way for the abrupt interruption. Jughead laughed, nodding to affirm her point.

“And I just beg you please not to pick anything that will make me cringe every time I have to say it,” he added and looking around Betty once again noticed how engaged all the campers were when he spoke, his mix of humour and authority clearly working for them.

In any other situation, with another person Betty may have felt that little spark of jealously birthed from the need to be the best enshrined into her from a young age. She was always taught to be the standout, the person who everyone relied on and wanted, but in this moment she found herself more than content to let Jughead shine in his element. It was new to her, and maybe a trait of the real her, the one she was unable to become fully acquainted with yet. She didn’t dwell too much on it but thought maybe it had a lot to do with him. 

Their group tossed ideas around for a while, the older kids scrunching up their noses at some of the suggestions from the younger crowd; team unicorns had not been a hit. After a few more minutes of debate a girl with long hair tied back in an elaborate braid- Emily, 13 from Greendale- spoke up.

“What about the Blue and Gold? You know because of your shirts. And Betty’s all blonde and bright which fits the gold and Jughead’s kind of darker like the blue?”

Betty laughed at her description of Jughead, quickly forgetting her embarrassment at being called “blonde and bright” while her partner furrowed his brows for a moment as if deciphering whether he should be offended by it or not. The others all nodded their heads and a chorus of “Oh’s” and “I like that one’s” rang across the small circle.

“Well I guess that’s settled then?” Betty asked looking around the group for confirmation. Upon finding no objection she turned to Jughead with a smile.

“Okay then. So Blue and Gold who’s ready for lunch?”

Betty led the way inside, she was on Kitchen duty with Veronica and Ethel today and headed in that direction once she was sure all the campers were happy mingling. As she walked past the tables she caught sight of Jughead with Noah again. The younger boy was clearly a little obsessed with Jughead as Kevin had jokingly described earlier. Though it wasn’t really the sight of them that caused the bright smile to break across her face, but rather the snippet of conversation she caught on her way past.

“Is Betty cool?” Noah asked Jughead, as though he was wary of trusting and was seeking confirmation in the older boy.

“Yeah she is,” she heard Jughead reply. That was enough for the corners of her mouth to twitch, but it was the next part that made her beam, as she just caught it before the distance became too great for the sound to travel to her.

“She’s really pretty.”

“Yeah she is.”

* * *

 

It was the second official week of camp and the weather was beginning to border on unbearable. Due to the dry heat, Fred had called off all of the planned activities for the afternoon, not willing to risk dehydration and heat stroke with the more physical activities.

Veronica, Kevin, Betty and Jughead had offered to take a group of kids swimming in the river, while Archie and Reggie were running a table tennis competition in the rec room/ dining hall and Ethel and Cheryl were preparing dinner.

“Stop looking at me like that!”

“Like what?” Jughead asked, his face twisting into an expression of both amusement and curiosity.

Betty huffed, self-consciously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  The two of them were sitting on the little jetty Fred had built extending onto the water, while Kevin and Veronica sunbathed on the grass. Betty was reading while Jughead wrote in his journal. Although, she was pretty sure he was casting more glances at her then he was writing words on the page.

 “I don’t know, like… like I’m special or something,” she muttered shyly, not meeting his eyes under the guise of watching the kids and then flicking them back to page before her. She didn’t absorb any of the plot.

A silence stretched between them for a long moment. The only sounds to be heard were the echoes of splashing water, kids laughing and the rustling of trees in the wind.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, Jughead’s quiet yet earnest voice broke through the tense barrier of unspeaking.

“You are special.”

Betty looked at him then to find his gaze was already trained on her. His dark hair was falling in his eyes, which were such an intense shade of blue she felt a shiver run down her spine and her heart skip a beat. He wasn’t wearing his usual beanie today and the sight of his locks, freed was already making her knees weak. She felt as though her body was on fire as her mind went blank.

_Special._

It was a word she hadn’t really associated with herself before. Perfect, yes. But never special. Because most of the time she felt like a carbon copy of her sister and pretty much every other all American girl that existed across the country. The blonde cheerleader type wasn’t exactly a rarity.

But here was this boy, telling her she was; special that is. This boy that seemed to know a lot about being different, about things that were unique. And she believed it.

A wave of affection ran through her blood at the sentiment and all she could do was blush under his stare, and bite her lip as her sanity slowly returned.

“Thank you,” she eventually mumbled a sweet smile on her lips- it was different to the award winning one she gave everyone else Jughead noted. This smile was small, a subtle quirk of her lips, a light in her eyes. It was real, and it was for him in this moment, right now.

The weight was not lost on Jughead and he offered his own grin in return, not the smirk he used on most but an actual smile. And Betty felt her heart flutter at the beauty of it- of him.

It felt like time no longer existed. It was just them in this moment, just them and the stars in their eyes, no kids, no co-workers, no nervousness, and no expectations. It was just them revelling in the new feeling of seeing someone, and them seeing you.

It was kind of startling in its magnitude. They had only known each other three weeks, but somehow it felt much longer than that. As a team they were in perfect sync, easily bouncing off each other in their banter and joking tendencies which enthralled their campers, easily matching one another in determination, which had worked to their advantage in the morning’s game of capture the flag, which their tactics had convincingly won them. And as people they were beginning to discover the ways in which they complemented and contrasted. They had similar taste in books, similar interests in writing, and although at this point it was unspoken, each got the feeling that the person they presented to the world and the person they really were, were not necessarily one in the same; though around the other, each felt their true self shining through more with each passing day.

“Betty!” a shrill voice broke through their little bubble, as each of them blinked hazily, the moment fading rapidly.

Turning her head the blonde recognised one of the girls in their group swimming over to the jetty looking disgruntled. Sarah was a charismatic eleven year old, who had quickly taken a shining to her camp counsellor who embodied her dreams of becoming a straight A student and cheerleader with an aptitude for outdoor activities. Kevin wasn’t wrong about the whole obsession thing.

“What’s up?” the older girl asked with concern, placing her book to the side.

“Can you _please_ come and swim with us? We’re playing tag and the boys are cheating!”

Betty laughed, internally rolling her eyes at the dramatic flair the kid had, but agreed none the less.

“Sure.” Seeming appeased by her confirmation, Sarah gave a curt nod and headed back toward her peers.

Jughead held his hand out for her book and Betty smiled gratefully at him, placing her well-worn copy of Romeo and Juliet in his possession.

Standing up Betty pulled her t-shirt over her head before bending at the waist to rid herself of her shorts. Jughead swallowed hard at the sight. She was clad in a navy one piece bathing suit that was definitely not designed to be overtly provocative. But _damn_ if she didn’t make it look like it was. Her long tan legs appeared to go on for miles and her small waist was accentuated by the fitting material. She was an expanse of smooth skin and soft curves that made his fingers itch to reach out.

His mind was quickly heading down a track that was not suitable for their current situation and he had to bite his lip from restraining a groan.

Using physical effort to pull his eyes away, he eventually made it back to her face. Betty was looking at him with a pretty blush colouring her cheeks and her own bottom lip trapped by her teeth. God even looking at her face wasn’t helping his hormones. He knew she was gorgeous already, but now he couldn’t help but think about how far her blush spread, and what that luscious looking lip would feel like beneath _his_ teeth as he nipped at it….

_Shit._

“Juggie?” Her soft voice broke through his lust induced haze… barely.

“Sorry, I was distracted by the view,” his voice was teasing, though an octave lower than usual and it sent a thrill down her spine as he threw her own words from their first encounter back at her.

“Yeah it’s some view,” she sent back at him with a coy smile before diving into the water.

Shaking his head Jughead hastily placed their belongings inside the backpack he had brought along and pulled off his own shirt diving in after her; he was suddenly in need of the relief of cool water.

Betty squealed slightly as he surfaced next to her. Jughead only laughed as she splashed him back, raising a hand to push his dark hair from his face in a way Betty had discovered was extremely enticing to her. And if that wasn’t enough to send heat pooling in her stomach, her eyes betrayed her and travelled down to take in his toned chest, his skin olive and glistening as water droplets invited her eyes to trail down to his lean but defined abs and the sharp v lines of his hips-

“Betty!” Sarah’s voice cut through her trance.

_Shit he was going to be the death of her._

* * *

 

“I swear if one more of those little brats try’s to sneak out of their cabins there will be blood,” Cheryl exclaimed with irritation as she joined Veronica and Betty on their trek to the fire pit. Ethel who was trailing the red head looked horrified by her remark.

“Cheryl!” she protested, wide eyes looking to the other girls to gauge their own reactions.

Betty laughed, while Veronica shrugged and raised a perfectly sculpted brow.

“Remind me to hire a nanny when we have kids dear!” the socialite teased, while Cheryl rolled her eyes before storming ahead in a huff.

“I’m a masochist I swear, Ethel can you take these?” Veronica quickly handed off the bags of marshmallows she had been carrying before following after her girlfriend.

Betty was intrigued by Veronica and Cheryl’s relationship. According to her roommate they weren’t together because “long distance never works”. Veronica was in New York and Cheryl lived in Riverdale [the town Camp Sweetwater was just outside of]. But they hooked up every summer and whenever their paths crossed at events each of their wealthy families were invited to. It was complicated but it worked for them.

“They’re an interesting pair huh?” Ethel stated conversationally, motioning in the direction the others hand just gone.

Betty laughed, adjusting the bags of gram crackers and chocolate she was carrying.

“Yeah, I didn’t realise one relationship was capable of handling two personalities that big.”

Ethel chuckled. They had almost reached the fire pit where the other counsellors were waiting. It was rounding on 11pm so the campers were restricted to their cabins, bar use of the bathroom due to curfew. Deciding they deserved some fun the older kids had organised an impromptu bon fire for themselves tonight.

“So what’s being partnered with Jughead like?”

Betty was taken aback by the question, not expecting it and not sure why she was being asked. She stopped walking, and Ethel turned to face her waiting patiently for an answer. A million words raced through Betty’s mind but none of them seemed adequate, while all of them somehow seemed to be too invasive and personal to use.

“Ah it’s great. He’s a really good guy.”

She scrutinised Ethel’s reaction, the way she nodded slightly, the faraway look in her eyes, the way her head was titled toward said boy who stood by the fire, rolling his eyes at something Archie had said while Reggie cracked up.

“He seems like it.”

“Yeah,” Betty let the syllable hang between them for a second before steeling her pride and continuing.

“Is there a reason you’re asking Ethel,” she kept her tone light and trusting though the darkness in her was beginning to rear its head and begged to snap at the other girl.

“Oh, well it’s kind of embarrassing but I was wondering if maybe you could talk me up to him a little? You know leave a good impression?” the shorter girl blushed profusely as she spoke, unable to meet Betty’s gaze as she fidgeted on the spot.

Betty wanted to yell that no she couldn’t do that because if Jughead was interested in anyone it was her, but she didn’t really have indefensible evidence of that. And besides she didn’t own him, he was entitled to like Ethel if he wanted. They weren’t even a thing. Why did this bother her so much? _Because you like him Betty that’s why._

“Um I don’t know Ethel-“

“Please Betty I’m not asking you to set up a date or anything. Just mention me or something.”

Betty sighed. She couldn’t really deny her that innocent gesture. So ignoring the bubbling feeling of nausea in her stomach, she nodded.

When they finally reached the camp site, it seemed that Veronica had made quick amends with Cheryl as the two were now cosied up on a lawn chair near the fire.

Upon noticing their arrival, Jughead excused himself from his conversation with Reggie and walked the short distance to them. Betty felt a smile naturally make its way onto her face at the sight.

“Oh my god Betts have I mentioned that you are my favourite human on earth!” he groaned at the sight of the food in her arms, taking some from her to ease the load.

Her whole being became warm with the compliment as they set the supplies down atop the drink cooler.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she returned with an equally theatrical voice. A soft defeated sigh to her left though reminded her of the conversation had not even minutes prior and the guilt she felt won out over her pettiness.

“I can’t take all the credit though, it was Ethel’s idea,” she added smoothly, putting her hand on Ethel’s back and nudging her forward.

Jughead looked at Betty quizzically for a brief second before turning to Ethel.

“Oh okay. Thanks Ethel, great idea.”

Betty couldn’t help the satisfaction that ran through her at the stark difference in the way he had responded to each of them.

A an hour later she was sitting on the ground with her back against a tree talking with Kevin about his boyfriend, while Archie and Veronica were singing together in the background, adding to the warm atmosphere.

“Okay I’m gonna go raid the pantry for more snacks, you want anything?”

“No thanks Kev,” as he walked away she let out a contented sigh, happy to absorb this moment, knowing these were the kind of memories that became stories.

“Hey,” Jughead’s voice reverberated through the air as he slid into the vacated spot next to her against the trees trunk.

“Hi.”

They were close enough that their thighs pressed against one another, and though he was wearing jeans, she could feel his warmth radiating through the fabric on the bare skin of her own leg left uncovered by her shorts. She shivered as it made her aware of how chilled she was in the evening breeze.

“Cold?”

“No I’m fine,” she insisted shaking her head.

Jughead looked at her with raised brows clearly not believing her and sat up slightly so that he was no longer pressed against the tree trunk, and then proceeded to shrug off the flannel he was wearing over his t-shirt.

Betty’s eyes widened as she realised his intention, her heart pounding obnoxiously against her chest. He held it out to her with a smirk and she sheepishly took the material from him. It was a faded blue and green one with grey and black accents. She shrugged it on half haphazardly protesting that he would get cold.

“Don’t worry I’m hot blooded,” he joked, as she snuggled into the fabric. It smelt like him; slightly spicy mixed with cigarettes and something fresh she couldn’t place.

“Capote would be so disappointed,” her sarcasm earned her a little nudge of his shoulder into hers.

“Well it looks better on you anyway,” Jughead said quietly, eyes locking on hers while his hands reached up to adjust his beanie. The blue was so intense she felt like she might down it in.

Betty gave him that soft smile again and he knew the forward statement was not misguided. It was odd how they could be flirting half naked at the river and he felt more sure of himself then than he did right now. Something about the soft glow of the fire and the melodic strumming of Archie’s guitar paired with the evening sky was inescapably intimate and he revelled in the fact that she wasn’t shying away.

Taking a deep breath she decided it was her turn to be brave.

“Juggie I’m still a little cold…” she whispered innocently, looking up at him through her lashes, green eyes piercing him in the best way. And it was ultimately the cheeky glint he found in those green eyes that made him completely confident in lifting an arm for her.

Biting her lip Betty shifted so that she was snuggled into his side. They stayed like that for the rest of the night, Betty on her part ignoring Ethel’s disappointed and jealous glances their way.

* * *

 

This was definitely the kind of night that made for a memory that made a story. Their story.

Betty couldn’t sleep. She had been lying awake for hours, tossing and turning and desperately willing herself to fall into slumber. Though it was to no avail. Her mind was plagued with images of a dark haired boy with lean muscles and a gorgeous smirk. She couldn’t shake the ghost of the feeling of his arms around her the night before at the bonfire, or the lingering feelings of his appreciative eyes roaming her body that day at the river. It was like every part of him had lit up every part of her and now that fire wouldn’t go to sleep.

She had barely seen him today. Maybe that was why he was so heavily on her mind tonight.

It was Saturday- well technically Sunday now- and Fred respected the sanctity of weekends in his schedules. They didn’t really do group activities and it was mostly free time. Though they still supervised certain areas, or organised some random things to do like water balloon wars and helped with the necessary chores, weekends were like their time off.

She had spent her morning writing in her journal and her afternoon on a hike with Archie and Veronica and she hadn’t really any idea where Jughead had been. She had seen him at breakfast but he hadn’t been at lunch and had sat with Noah at dinner. She figured that might have had something to do with it. But she didn’t really want to pry.

What she did know was that she missed him. And she kind of hated herself for that; how much of an impact his presence or absence was already having on her when they were still an unestablished entity. But more than that, she hated the aching feeling it left her with. She was starving for his jokes, his voice, his smiles, his laugh and the innocent touches they shared. She found herself wanting the less than innocent ones too but that was a fantasy at this point, one she was trying to avoid indulging in while her roommate slept only a few metres away.

A rapping at the window broke her from her reveries. Betty’s ears pricked up listening out for the sound to make sure her imagination was not manipulating the wind or making things up all together. But just as she was about to write it off as her brain playing tricks on her, the noise came again, more insistent this time.

Betty sat up, swinging her feet to the floor before creeping over to the window. She jumped when she saw a face looking back at her, hand shooting over her mouth to muffle her noise of surprise. Quickly glancing at Veronica to make sure she was still dead to the world, Betty slid the window open her eyes wide and incredulous.

Jughead was leaning against the pane, looking devilishly handsome with a smirk on his lips.

“Hey there Juliet,” he greeted, a twinkle in his eyes, though Betty didn’t miss the subtle ways he looked worn and defeated. His eyes though striking were framed by dark circles, his shoulders slightly tense and his jaw tight.

She shook her head in amazement at his brash gesture.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re going on an adventure,” he stated plainly as if it were obvious.

“Are you crazy?” she whispered harshly, though she couldn’t deny the giddy feeling overtaking her at the thought of sneaking into the night with him.

“We all are,” Jughead drawled tapping his fingers against the window sill.

“So are you coming or not?”

Betty sighed, looking over at Veronica again one more time before nodding.

“One second.” She moved quickly, grabbing a hoodie and chucking flip flops on, before moving back to the window.

It was a little bit of a squeeze but she thanked the cheerleading god’s for making her lithe and flexible enough to make it work. Jughead placed steadying hands on her waist to help her through the other side. He didn’t remove them immediately when she was on the ground, but rather looked down at her fondly.

“Hi,” he whispered, this time it seemed more intimate with them face to face like this, his hands burning her through the material of her hoodie and pyjama top.

“Didn’t we already do this?” She whispered back, hands resting on his shoulders as she quirked a brow.

“Smart ass,” he murmured, taking a slight step back but grabbed her hand before she had time to be disappointed.

He led her down toward the river without protest and she soon found herself sat with him on the jetty once again. He dropped her hand when they reached their destination and Betty immediately missed the way his thumb was rubbing small circles on the back of it.  

“This is my favourite part.”

Betty’s brows creased in confusion at his erroneous statement. His tone was meaningful and she didn’t want to miss what exactly he was being so sentimental about. For she was beginning to crave these moments with him, when it was just them in their own world, uncovering new layers of one another.

She studied him for a moment. He was lying on his back, hands behind his head looking up at the sky, his eyes clear and deep, his lips slightly parted. He looked somewhere between wonderment and defeated and she found herself needing to know how he got there.

Following his lead she lay back too.

A gasp left her lips as she took in the sight above her. the stars stretched across an endless plane of ebony sky, dots of ivory lighting it up and inviting fantasies and dreams, belittling everything else in the universe and dimming it in comparison to the endless infinites that were written in the night.

“Wow,” she breathed transfixed.

“There’s nothing else like it. Not just aesthetically I mean, there’s nothing else that makes you feel so enraptured, nothing that can steal your breath like that and make you realise that you are ultimately a finite being in an infinite world.” Jughead spoke in a way that made her feel like his words were being inscribed in her skin.

 They were beautiful and profound and filled with a sense of longing and loathing that made them all the more enamouring.

Betty tore her eyes away for a moment to take him in, he seemed more stripped back than she had ever seen him before and she didn’t want to miss it.

“That was beautiful Jug.”

He didn’t say anything for a while.

“I think this might be my favourite place,” she said after a few minutes of silence.  She didn’t know if she meant the camp or this moment because couldn’t recall a time in her life that rivalled this moment of him and her and the endless sky, and the symphony of cicadas and the wind rustling the trees.

“Yeah?” She felt his eyes glance at her, and could imagine the way his eyebrows lifted with the question.

“I’ve never felt more myself than I do here.”

“That’s both terribly beautiful and terribly sad all at once Betty Cooper.”

He was right she supposed, and the thought made her smile ruefully.

“My mum has the image of who she thinks I should be. Perfect. It feels like everything I do is to please her. I don’t even really know who I am anymore. Ever since my sister Polly became a teen mum, it’s like she’s had this psychotic desire to dispel any possible fault anyone could see in me, like she has to compensate for that through me. It’s suffocating.”

She didn’t know where the sudden need to tell him that had come from, but she didn’t regret it, especially when he didn’t show her pity but rather left the air silent so that she could fill it with more words if she so wished.

“But here, there’s no expectation of who I should be or how I should act. I can just be. I kind of feel like this is the first time I’ve ever really had the chance to get to know the real me.”

“For what it’s worth, if what I’ve been seeing is the real you then I think she’s pretty amazing,” Jughead’s words were so sincere she would almost be scared if anyone else spoke them.

“And I’m not the only one. You have quite a stalker squad developing,” he continued, lightening the mood and little, causing her to let out a snort.

“What about you? Noah really looks up to you.”

Jughead seemed to tense again at that.

“He’s a good kid, been dealt a pretty shitty hand in life though and I know what that’s like.”

His voice had hardened with his expression, pain seeping through each word. She reached out until her fingers grazed his. Jughead linked them together.

“You were with him today.” It wasn’t a question but he nodded anyway.

“Yeah. His dad has never really been in the picture and his mum is a recovering drug addict. He just found out she had relapse today, she’s okay but he’s not. He’s mad and angry and scared and it’s not fair that he has to deal with all of that.” His own voice was ruff and sad, tinged with frustration.

Betty rolled onto her side, placing their clasped hands on his chest. And offering him the same curtesy he had given her. She left the air void of sound, letting him make the decision to fill it if he wanted.

“It just, it fucking sucks Betty to have a parent to consumed by their need to escape the shitty situation they put you all in to realise that you’re right there and you’re drowning. Kids shouldn’t have to take care of their parent, that’s not how it’s supposed to work. They’re not supposed to abandon you.” He finished much softer and defeated than he had started.

“You’re right that fucking sucks.” She said eventually. He didn’t need “I’m sorry’s”. They were full of pity. What he needed was acceptance. Jughead felt his lips twitch upward at her use of a cuss word. Hearing her swear was rare, but god he wanted to hear more dirty words fall from her lips.

“But for what it’s worth, you made yourself more than that, you didn’t let that define you and that’s pretty amazing.”

The look she was giving him, all doe eyes and sincerity made his chest ache. Her blonde curls were sprawled around them and her skin was illuminate in the moonlight. She was beautiful both inside and out and he couldn’t fight his magnetism toward her any longer.

His gaze was as tender and it was intense and Betty felt her pulse race and her breath hitch as it flickered to her lips. She couldn’t remember how to inhale as he neared and her own head began inclining toward his. All she think about was the desire to kiss him, the need to show him how wonderful he truly was.

He paused a millimetre away from her mouth, his whispering against her lips as he steadied. The anticipation was killing her, her heart was pounding so loudly she wouldn’t have sworn he could hear it. And then just when she was sure she was going to go insane from the hold up, he brought his mouth to hers in an earth shattering kiss.

The first contact of their lips was a ghosting sensation. She stuttered out a breath as he pulled slightly away his hand brushing her cheek, and then she was plunging into him again. Their lips met in a passionate embrace, sliding over one another in slow and sensual movements, words unable to be orated slipping between their mouths.

Betty sighed against his lips as his hands cupped her face more firmly to angle her head, as his tongue traced her bottom lips. She gladly gave him access and Jughead groaned at the minty taste of her warm mouth. They battled languidly for a while, hands roaming bodies over clothes and breaths being stolen with each caress of their lips and tongues. It was unlike any sensation either had experienced.

Breaking away she rested her forehead against his breathing heavily. A demure smile erupted on her face as both their eyes stayed closed and they basked in the bliss they had created.

They didn’t sneak back into their rooms till sunrise.

* * *

 

Betty was in a mood that rivalled sunshine itself. It had been two weeks since her and Jughead shared their moment in the middle of the night on the jetty and things were unfolding amazingly. They had kept it professional while running their group activities, however, they were unable to keep their flirting entirely at bay- a fact one their older campers had not so subtly pointed out making her blush profusely while Jughead just sported a shit eating grin. They spent their nights and free time together talking about anything and everything, uncovering each other’s secrets, scars and demons, while also learning what made the other laugh, and what their dreams were. The physical side of things had also been progressing quite nicely, and not just in the little touches around others like the way he would place a hand on her thigh during meals, or pull her onto his lap when they hung out after camper’s curfew. But in the heated moments alone, where his tongue would caress hers and his hands would roam the expanses of her skin.

The thought alone had her flushing and her thighs clenching.

Shaking her head Betty tried to focus on setting the table for lunch.

“Hey you,” a masculine voice whispered in her ear, arms wrapping around her from behind. A shiver ran down her spine at the feeling of his breath on her skin.

She span around in his arms, placing her own loosely around his neck.

“I’m sorry do I know you?” she teased, tilting her head in mock confusion.

“Ha ha,” was all Jughead gave in response, his mouth too busy delivering a kiss to hers to form a quip.

“Excuse me no PDA where I eat please!” Archie exclaimed, walking over to them.

Betty giggled as they broke apart, burrowing into Jughead’s side despite the warm weather making close body contact less than optimal.

“What’s up Arch?” Jughead asked, the good mood she always put him in, transcending into his words as he addressed his friend.

Archie smirked at Jughead, highlighting the juxtaposition between the Jughead he was around Betty and his normal brooding self. Thankfully the redhead had the decency not to say anything outright though.

“Dad just wanted me to make sure you’re all good for setting up the movie night stuff after lunch?”

Jughead nodded, already well aware of what needed to be done to set up the makeshift outdoor cinema for the evening.

And it was that outdoor cinema that became the perfect guise for them to sneak off to a secluded area and end up in the compromising positon they were in now.

Once the movie had started the pair had snuck off to what they now deemed as “their spot” on the jetty overlooking the water. The cinema had been set up on the other side of camp so they weren’t worried about prying eyes. Neither had any false pretences about their intentions either and they had quickly become a tangle of limbs.

Jughead’s tongue was exploring Betty’s mouth as she straddled his lap. Her hands were in his hair tugging on the dark strands while his were placed firmly on her ass. He tasted like the cola he had been drinking earlier, tinged with the cigarette had not long ago and she was fast becoming addicted to it. Nipping her bottom lip with his teeth, Jughead pulled his mouth away from hers.

Betty whined at the loss but that soon turned to a breathy whimper as his lips traced the column of her neck. Her hips ground down against his growing harness as he bit and sucked at her skin.

“Juggie,” she moaned as he bit down on her pulse point and then soothed the abused skin with his tongue. He groaned against her neck in approval.

“Fuck Betty. Do you know what hearing you say my name like that does to me?” He breathed into her skin.

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” was her equally breathy reply as she rocked against his arousal. Jughead dropped his head to her shoulder and bucked up against her making her gasp and arch her back.

“Off,” she ordered pulling at the hem of his black t-shirt, needing to feel his skin beneath her hands.

Jughead smirked, leaning back slightly to pull the fabric over his head.

Betty’s eyes darkened at the sight, her gaze hungry as it traced the dips and ridges of his muscles. Unable to resist any longer her lips slanted over his in a hot opened kiss as her hands felt the lines her eyes had been admiring, revelling in the way they quaked under her finger tips.

Jughead drank in the passion she offered him, his mouth consuming hers as he dominated the kiss. His hands moved from their place on her ass to her back before sliding around to her rib cage under her shirt. Betty broke away from his lips to trail kisses along his sharp jaw line, the feeling making him groan and cup her breasts in his hands. She rocked her hips against his in response, shuttering when he flicked her nipples.

“Juggie I-“ her ability to form coherent sentences was stolen by the hand tracing her inner thigh under her skirt. He could feel the heat radiating from her centre through the thin fabric of her panties and it only excited him more, but Jughead had learned quickly that teasing her was extremely enjoyable.

“Tell me what you want Betts,” he murmured into her shoulder, tracing the lace trimming of her underwear with his fingers. Betty whimpered, her face flushing in the most beautiful way that he now knew spread all the way down to her breasts.

“I want you to- _Oh-_ touch me,” she gasped pressing herself against him more eagerly now, creating a delicious friction.

Jughead growled. The sight of her rocking against his lap, looking wonderfully dishevelled was too sinfully good.

His hand stopped its teasing and moved under the fabric of her underwear. He groaned at the feeling of her wet and wanting for him and quickly began rubbing sharp circles on her clit. Betty moaned and bucked against his hand, head falling back in pleasure as her eyes shut tight and her lips parted.

Smirking he left her bundle of nerves to slide his fingers inside of her, her breath hitching at the sensation and then coming out as a whimper.

“Oh god,” she groaned, rocking her hips against his hand as he curled his digits inside of her, loving the way she clenched around him.

“Please,” Betty whispered desperately as he continued his ministrations.

“You want more?” he asked, nipping her earlobe.

She was panting now and he could tell he was close.

“Yes,” she breathed, stuttering at the end.

And that was all he needed to pump his fingers harder into her a few more times, his thumb moving in tight circles around her clit pushing her over the edge and making her see stars as she came with a gasp of his name.  He worked her through it before removing his fingers and licking her essence off of them.

She had quickly overcome her embarrassment and unsureness with him in sexual situations, only having experienced heavy petting with anyone else before him. He had been a great teacher though and made her feel sexy and confident. So the sight of that alone was enough to stir her wanting again, and she kissed him hard.

“Shit you’re beautiful.” Jughead breathed out, taking in her glory; swollen lips, crumpled clothing, messed up hair, hazy eyes dark with lust and clouded with bliss.

She smiled at him tender and bright and his heart suddenly felt two sizes too big for his chest.

“So are you,” Betty replied, giving him a sweet kiss and brushing the ebony hair from his eyes.

“I was wrong.”

She pulled back slightly, confused as to what he was talking about. The look on his face was so soft and pure and honest it sent her spinning.

“The first night we were here I said there was nothing else that could make you feel so enraptured and enamoured as the stars could. I was wrong.” His thumbs caressed her cheeks, while his eyes coerced her soul and Betty felt the breath leave her body with the intensity of what she was feeling.

She was completely and utterly lost for any words, finding none that could come remotely close to the beauty of what he had just said to her. Licking her lips, she let herself be pulled into the depths of his eyes and pressed herself tight against his body. She chose to speak what she felt, to let her body take over her mind.

“Make love to me.”

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thankyou for reading! x


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